Can-sorting machine.



E. P. JONES.

CAN SOETING MACHINE.

, APPLICATION FILED FBB.2,1914.

1, 1 1 5,829. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNE$8E8: I We @W E. P. JONES. CAN SORTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION IILBD FEB. 2, 1914.

Patented N 0V. 3, 1914.

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' To all tohom it may concern:

'mmn srATEs PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN I. JONES, OF PORT JLOVVQNSEND, WASHINGTON.

cAN-soivrin'e MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial No. 815,926.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

an inexpensively constructed and eflicient machine for successively weighing canned goods fed to the machine which will re ect the cans whose weights are below the standard to which the balance scale of the machine is adjusted.

'clined delivery-chute The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view shown partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying my'invention. Fig. 2 1s a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thebalance scale and the controlling devices therefor. Fig. 4 1s a sectional view through 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The frame of the machine is provided with an inclined feed chute 5 down which the cans roll by gravity to a weighing pan 6 and beyond the latter is an inclined discharge chute 7 by which cans ofstandard weight, or greater, roll from the pan. The chutes 5 and 7 are connectedby side members 8 of the frame which are spaced apart to accommodate the scale-pan therebetween. Positioned below the chute 7 is a second infor light-weight cans which are de osited thereon from the pan.

f Provided 111 the feedchute 5. is a spaning device comprising a pair of star wheels 10' mounted upon a shaft 11 and intermittently rotated by means of a sprocket-cham 12 passing about a sproeket w heei 13 011 said shaft and a sprocket-wheel likon a shaft 15 which is positioned below thepan'6. Provided on shaft 15 is a feed-wheel having a plurality of radially disposed arms 16 whlch revolve through a longitudinal slot 17 provided in an 6 for the purpose of regulating the trave of the cans as theytraverse the pan. The relative sizes of the sprocket wheels 13 and Marc such as to afford mo- -tion. to the starpwheels to deliver a can to the pan 6 as each of the feed-wheel arms is presented.

18 and 19 represent shafts journaled in bearings which depend from the chutes 7 and 9. Mounted on the shaft 18 is a sprocket-wheel 20fserving as a driver for a chain 21 which passes about a sprocketwheel 22 mounted on shaft 15 to rotate the same only when the chain is driven in the direction indicated by arrow m in Fig. 1; to which end, I secure a ratchet-wheel 23 to the shaft 15 and within a cylindrical chambe! provided inthe body of the wheel 22,

and having balls or rollers 24 provided in the gullets of the ratchet wheel to engage with the peripheral surface of said chamber when the ratchet-wheelie turned in the direction corresponding to arrow X and becoming inoperative when the ratchet wheel is turned in a contrary direction. In like manner, a chain 25 is employed to transmit motion from a driving wheel 26 on shaft 19 to a sprocket-wheel 27 provided on shaft 15.

The wheel 27 has clutch devices therein similar to those illustrated and described for the wheel 22 to afford motion to the shaft 15 only when the chain 25 is-d'riven as indicated by arrow Y, Fig. -1.

Wheels 18 and 19 .are provided on the shafts 18 and 19 and are provided with-arms which revolve within the paths of cans 'in rolling down the discharge chutes so as to be successively encountered by the cans which in passing the wheels 18 or 19 impart a partial rotation thereto suflicient to furnish the requisite amount of movement tothe shaft 15 carrying the feed-wheel and.

Extending through the yoke 29 are screws 1; a

30 which have then lower ends-fit into depressionsBl provided in the upper sides of arms 32 which are rigidly secured to and extend forward from a transversel 31". ranged-beam 33. The beam is provi ed-at its ends with pivotal supports or projections, suchas 34, '(Fig. 3) which are seated in apertures provided in posts 35 extending upwardly from the machine frame.

re erred to end of the pan is normally held to rest upon fingers 40 through the agency of weights 41 attached to the underside of the pan. The rear ends of the bars 38 have pivotally connected thereto by screws 42 levers 43, each of which has an arm 44 provided with a finger 44 arranged to be swung beneath the rear end of the pan by means of a weight 45 provided on the lever-arm 46. a third arm 47 extending upwardly and thence laterally to beneath the arm 36 of the scale-beam.

48 represents studs rovided in'posts to limit the downwar movements of the 25 forward ends of the bars 38.

' The operation of the machine is as follows: The cans to be assortedare placed in the chute 5 and roll down by gravity against the star-wheels 10 so that asthe latter are 80 giize'n intermittent rotary motion, the cans are transposed beyond the star-wheels to roll onto the scalean 6. Should the weight of the can be su cient to over-balance the weight 37, then 'the pan will be depressed 85 resulting 1n the arms 32 being tilted down and the other arm 36 being tilted u When 4 this occurs, the power of the weig ts 45 asserts itself to influence the levers 43 so as to thrust the fingers 44 thereof below the rear end of the scale-pan 6 and prevent the same tilting down into the position indicated by broken lines 6 when the can is brought to that end of the scale-pan through the agency of an arm of feed-wheel 16. 46 The fingers 44 respond to the action of the scale-lever 32-36 and wei hts when influenced by a can of suitabIe weight, so that the scale-pan is arrested against tilting before the an gets below the runway for the 50 cans in c ute 7. A can of standard weight or more will thus automatically efiect the locking of the scale-pan against tilting and will be delivered into the upper end of the discharge chute and rolling down the same 56 run against one of the arms of wheel 18 and by its momentum cause the same to be turned sufiiciently to impart motion to the chain 21 whereby the shaft 15 is partially rotated to rotate in turn the shaft 11 60 through the medium of the driving mechatherebetween. The shafts 11 and 15 being thus turned regulate the timed delivery of the cans to the pan 6 and the movement of the can over the scale by the starwheels 10 and the wheels 16. It may be.

mentioned that in starting, an attendant Eprates the chain 21 with his hand until e first can has traveled over the pan, but thereafter the machine will be automatic while cans are supplied to the feed-chute 5. 79

In case of a can weighing less than is required to overcome the power of the weight 37, the lever-arms 47 are prevented from raising, hence the fingers 44 remain in inoperative positions and when the light can reaches the rear end of the pan, the pan will be tilted into the position indicated by 6 and will deposit the can on the chute 9. The can thereupon rolls down the chute and causes the wheel 19 to be turned to operate 0 the star and feed-wheels to perform their duties. After a light can has been discharged from the pan 6, the same is restored to its horizontal position by means of weights 40.

What I claim as my invention, is

1. In a weight-sorting machine, the combination with the machine frame provided with a feed-chute, and two superposed inclined discharge-chutes, of a scale-pan inter- 99 posed between said feed-chute and the higher of the discharge-chutes, a scalebalance for said pan, means regulated by the weight of articles being weighed on the pan whereby the full-weight articles are delivered upon the higher discharge-chute and articles of less weight are delivered to the lower chute.

2. In a weight-sorting machine having a frame provided with two vdischarge chutes, a scale balance, a tiltable pan suspended from one end thereof, means for feeding articles to said pan, means for causing said articles to traverse said pan, means controlled by said balance when influenced by articles when upon thepan'whereby the latter is maintained in position to deliver the articles above a definite weight to one of said chutes, and articles of less weight are rendered capable to tilt the pan and thereby be discharged in the other chute.

3. In a weight-sorting machine, a scale balance having a tiltable pan which is adapted'to be depressed by an article of suflicient weight, means to effect the traverse movement of articles to be weighed across the pan, means actuated by-the depression of the pan whereby the latter is positively prevented from tilting so that such article will bedischarged in a substantially horizontal direction from the pan, and articles having less -weight than required to depress the pan will tilt the latter and cause such article to thereby be deposited below the'pan.

4. In a weight-sorting machine, a gravity feed-chute, and two gravitydischarge 125 chutes, a scale balance having a tiltable pan, means actuated by the weight of cans passing down either of said discharge chutes whereby the cans are successively fed to the pan and then caused to traverse the pan, and 130 means controlled by a can while upon the 'by the latter is positively prevented from tilting whereby such cans are delivered to said chute while cans of lighter weight are dumped from the pan by tilting the same.

6. In a can-sorting machine, a scale-babance, means coiiperating with said balance whereby cans are supplied to the balance for successively weighing the same, means to v progressively move the cans over the top of and discharge the same from the pan of said balance, and devices actuated by the cans subsequent to their being discharged from the pan whereby the aforesaid means are operated.

7. In a can-sorting machine, a scale-beam, a, tiltable pan supported from one side of said beam and a weight secured to the other side thereof, and devices carried by said beam and rendered operative by an article on the pan of suflicient weight to overbalvance the aforesaid weight whereby the pan said beam and a weight secured to the other side thereof, levers operativelyo connected with the beam and provided with fingers which are caused to be swung below the pan to prevent the same from tilting when the pan is depressed by an article having sufficient weight to overbalance the first-named weight.

.9. In a can-sorting machine, a scale-balance having a tiltable pan, means to supply articles whose weights are to be tested to the pan and over the same, said pan being arranged to be tilted by an article of less weight than that to which the balance is ad justed for the purpose of dumping such light-weight articles from the pan, means for restoring the pan to its normal horizontal position and means operated by an article of an cient weight to overbalance the scale whereby the scale-pan is temporarily prevented from tiltinvg.

Signed at Seattle, ash., this 23rd day of January, 1914.

EDWIN P. JONES.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, HORACE BARNES. 

